PARIS (AP) — Athletes at the Olympics are showering Noah Lyles with the first big taste of celebrity he's been working so hard to make his own.
Nearly a week into this brush with fame — at least inside the athletes village — he's not so sure he's loving the spotlight.
“I’m struggling with my mental,” Lyles conceded at the U.S. track and field team's news conference Monday. “I’ve become kind of popular at the village. Unfortunately, that comes with its own set of challenges.”
He's picking odd times to eat and stationing himself in remote corners of the dining area. He's having trouble getting a routine workout in, lest he get stopped by all the fencers, rowers, judokas and others who, to now, have only seen him on TV.
His major role in the Netflix track documentary “SPRINT” that dropped this month has certainly raised the profile of a sprinter whose three world championships last summer (100, 200 and 4x100 relay) set him on a path to stardom.
But while nobody in this sport has been more giving of his time, and his insight, in an effort to promote both himself and his sport, Lyles also has done a good job of separating his public and private time.
That's not as much in his control at the living quarters for some of the 14,000 athletes and sports officials who are camping out in Paris over these 17 days.
And to think, Lyles doesn't even race until Saturday.
“It has come with its own challenge of finding my own safe place,” he said. “I don't want to leave. But I feel like after these Olympics, I'm going to have to have conversations higher up than me in making that more available. ... I'm not even the most popular person in the village. I know I'm not the only one who's had to deal with situations like this."
Simone Biles and the U.S. gymnastics team are staying at the village. LeBron James and the U.S. men's basketball team are not.
Back in the day, another well-known sprinter, Usain Bolt, stayed in the village, famously saying he loved the round-the-clock McDonalds that was available and that mingling with other athletes, most of whom doubled as fans, put him at ease. In 2016, though, a concession was made and Bolt got his own room, as opposed to sharing.
“I do get nervous but when I get into the village it always goes away," he said back then.
Lyles has not been shy when it comes to talking about his need to stay on top of his mental and emotional health. He works with three therapists and has told stories about how the atmosphere three years ago at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games, with no fans in the stands, impacted his performance.
“I just remember being so, ‘This is not it. This is not fun. This is not cool. This is not what I wanted. This is not what I thought it was going to feel like,’” he said of the moments before his 200-meter final in Tokyo, where he won the bronze medal. “And that's literally the last few thoughts I had going through my mind as I got into the blocks. And it sucked.”
Lyles hasn't lost a 200-meter race since, and has now become a threat in the 100, as well. He is one of the must-see athletes at the Olympic track meet.
“This is what I dream of, is these moments right here,” Lyles said. “I get more excited the bigger the crowd is.”
Unless that crowd is asking him for selfies while he's trying to eat breakfast, or to sign something while he's stretching.
“We still are human beings, and we still want to be able to have our space and our time,” Lyles said. “I want to enjoy the Olympics just like you guys are. Trying to find a safe place has been a little difficult these last few days as I'm trying to prepare and dive deep into my mental state.”
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
Winner Noah Lyles celebrates after the Men's 100m final during the Diamond League London Athletics Meet in London, England, Saturday, July 20, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
FILE - Noah Lyles, of the United States celebrates anchoring his team to gold in the Men's 4x100-meters relay final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Noah Lyles, right, of the United States poses for photos while traveling along the Seine River in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis,Pool)
CLEVELAND (AP) — Lane Thomas and José Ramírez hit back-to-back eighth-inning homers and Joey Cantillo pitched five scoreless innings as the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 on Saturday night.
The Guardians remained three games ahead of second-place Kansas City in the division with 13 games remaining. Cleveland has the best home record in the AL at 44-27 and is 85-64 overall, second in the league to the New York Yankees.
Josh Naylor’s two-run single through a drawn-in infield ignited a three-run sixth that extended Cleveland’s lead to 4-0. David Fry added a sacrifice fly off Tyler Alexander (6-5), scoring Ramírez, who had been intentionally walked for a franchise-record 88th time.
Thomas and Ramírez tacked on solo homers in the eighth against Hunter Bigge.
Cantillo (2-3) gave up three hits, walked one and struck out six in his sixth start in the majors. The left-hander threw 6 2/3 perfect innings — and worked a career-high seven — in earning his first win Monday at the White Sox.
Junior Caminero had a career-high three doubles for Tampa Bay, driving in the team's only run in the eighth. The Rays fell to 4-5 on a 10-game trip through Baltimore, Philadelphia and Cleveland and are six back for the third AL wild card.
Cleveland went ahead 1-0 in the sixth on Brayan Rocchio’s double to right, scoring Andrés Giménez. Jhonkensy Noel also attempted to come home, but was thrown out on a relay from second baseman José Caballero.
Tampa Bay appeared to score in the fifth on Jose Siri’s single, but a replay review overturned the safe call at home on Josh Lowe. Thomas’ throw and Austin Hedges’ tag just beat Lowe’s left hand to the plate.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: 2B Christopher Morel (right Achilles discomfort) was held out of the lineup one day after being removed in the third inning in Cleveland. Manager Kevin Cash said Morel “feels better now than he did when he came out of the game.”
Guardians: OF Steven Kwan (mid-low back tightness), who was a late scratch Friday, is considered day to day and will not be placed on the injured list. The All-Star left fielder underwent medical tests that revealed no structural damage.
UP NEXT
Rays RHP Taj Bradley (6-10, 4.40 ERA) takes on Guardians RHP Ben Lively (11-9, 4.01 ERA) in the four-game series finale. Lively was struck on his right leg by Dominic Fletcher's liner in his last start Tuesday at the White Sox, exiting after 1 2/3 innings.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Tampa Bay Rays' Drew Rasmussen pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Rays' Josh Lowe, left, is tagged out by Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges, right, in the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Rays' Josh Lowe (15) steals second base under a tag by Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez, front left, in the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Rays' Jose Caballero tosses his bat after striking out in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel, left, is tagged out at home plate by Tampa Bay Rays catcher Logan Driscoll, right, in the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Rays' Tyler Alexander pitches in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Joey Cantillo pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero, left, gestures from second base after hitting a double in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Cleveland. Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez, right, looks on. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez, left, scores behind Tampa Bay Rays catcher Logan Driscoll, right, in the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas, left, gestures from second base in front of Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Jose Caballero (7) after hitting a double in the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Josh Naylor, right, hits a single in front of Tampa Bay Rays catcher Logan Driscoll, left, in the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
